Car roof



RSSS@ June l2, 1923.

C.Y D.` BONSALL CAR ROOF Filed D'ec. 2, 1921 Patented .lune l2, l923.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL, OF PITTSBURGH, E'ENNSYLVANL, ASSIGNOR TO P. H. MURPHY COMPANY, OF NEVZ' KENSNGTGN', PENNSYLVNXA, .4f-5. CORPORATON'OF PENNSYLVANIA.

n CAR Application led December To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, CHARLES DAVID BoNsALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot the city otl Pittsburgh, in the county oit lleghenyvand State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented a certain new and useful mproveinent in Car Roofs, of which the followingk is a specification.

The invention relates to flexible outside metal car roots olf the general type shown in C. C. Murphy `Patent No. 1,133,493, dated March 20, 1915, wherein the roof sheets are pivoted near their ridge ends to the roof sheathing and are connected along their side and ridge margins by flexible seams; and it relates particularly to the ridge construction oit roofs oiE this type. ln roofs of this type, ,the roof sheets are arranged in pairs on op site sidesA of the ridge and, heretofore, the two sheets of each pair have been pivoted to the rool substructure by means of ridge anchor saddles, which are pivotally secured to the ridge of the car and have raised pivot bosses that lit within similar raised pivot bosses formed in the root sheets near their ridge ends. ln such earlier constructions, the roof sheet bosses are held down on the anchor saddle bosses by means of extra running board saddles whose under sides are recessedV to receive the roof sheet bosses, whereby said roof sheets are `reeto pivot or slue on the roof substructure, but are held from slipping ott the eaves. The principal objects ot' the present invention are to pivotally secure the roof sheets in place Without the use of the bossed ridge anchor saddles and the eXtra running board saddles and thereby save the costfthereot; to elimi-y nate the bossing of the roof sheets and thereby save the-cost of the bos'sing operation; and to locate the pivotal securing means entirely within the ridge covers.

The inventionconsists principally in an anchor member for preventing bodily movement of the sheets crosswise of the car, said member also functioning as a pivot for the roof sheets to turn on in accommodating themselves to the various distortions of the car substructure; and the invention further consists in the arrangements and combinations o parts hereinafter more lfully de-` scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing', which forms part of this specification and wherein v- ROOF.

2, 1921. Serial No. 519,306.

like reference numerals refer to likey parts wherever they occur,`

1 is a plan view of a portion of a.

car roof provided with anchor members embodying my invention, parts being broken away yto more clearly illustrate the invention; i t

Fig. 2 .is an enlarged transverse cross-section through the ridge'portion of the car roof, the section being taken throughr oney l ot the anchor members on the line 2-2 in.

Figl;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section similar car and spaced apart from each other on opposite sidesoil the ridge and from adjacent pairs along their side margins. Mullions or battens 10 are secured to the roof sheathing between the side margins of the sheets, and Aare of less width than the spaces therebetween. 'lhe eaves ends of the roof sheets are held down on the car at the eaves 'by means oit' flashing,A strips 11, which are secured to the side plates and have doubled-back portions 12l adaptedv to interlock with the -doubled-under eaves' portions of the roof sheets. p

The side margins ot adjacent roof sheets, together with the mullions located therebetween, i are covered by channel-shaped transverse seani covers 13 whose side walls interlock with the side seam flanges le oitthe roof sheets.` The transverse seam covers 13 extend from ridge to eavesv and are held down at the eaves by turning their eaves ends under the d'oubledback portions 01"' the eaves strips y11, or in any other desirable manner. The transverse seam covers are se-l cured in place at the ridge by means of fourway ridgev corner caps-l5. l

The root sheets are provided at their ridgev ends with raised rebent flanges, which form hollow ribs 16. rlhe spaced ridge ribs 16,

i which form downwardly opening grooves 17 at the ridge endsl of the root` sheets, are

i straddled by ychannel-shaped ridge seam cv`- the ridge corner caps and are heldin proper alinement ff thereby. The corner caps 15 aresecured to the substructure by means oii'ibolt's19, which also secure the running board saddles (not shown) in position.

Sheet metal anchor members 22 are provided for spa'cingthe sheets apart at'tlie" f ridge and lfor preventing bodily movement of said sheets crosswise oi'i'the car. lThe an- Achormembers 22 are located between the ridge ends vof eachlpair; of oppositely arranged roof sheets midway between the sideV margins thereof and are secured in place by bolts 2 8, Awhich extend through the roo'f sheathing and ridge pole. Each anchor member comprises a flat body portion, whose yside margins are formed with raised rebent Yilangesthat form upstandnig hollow ribs 24, l'which lit within the grooves 17 termed by the spaced ridge ribs 16 of the root sheets,

The ribs 2d ofeach'anch'or member are lens-shapedgvthat is, the sides `of said ribs are bowed outwardly from endete vend there of, thus lorming convexo-convex or double,- convex .surfaces on opposite sides' or said ribs.. ln consequence of this eiidwise conveXity of the'ribs 24 o the anchor members,

the distance between the sides et said ribs "and the sides yof the roof sheet grooves 17 is a minimum midway of the'length of the groove and increases gradually toward each end thereoji". f Th width, ott the anchor meinberribs midway of their length corresponds i to ythe width of the root sheet grooves, whereby'said grooves snugly embrace said ribs midway oi the ridge ends of the sheets'and thus maintain a proper spacing ol the ridge ends ofthe sheets and prevent bodily movement of said sheets crosswise oit' the car.

f reason of the double-conveXit-y or' the ribs of the anchor members, each side of'a rib has a `linecontact withone side of a groove of a sheet midway of the ridge end Y thereof, with the result that each sheet has tangential ypivotal contact with a rib or' anv anchor member, whereby the rooi' sheets are permitted to pivot or s lue about the contacting portions or the double-convex surfaces of the anchor member ribs in response to the lweaving of the car iframe.

Theprincipal advantages ort the arrangement described is that it eliminates the eXtra running board saddles, the bossed anchor saddles `andwholly eliminates' the need for the rexpensive operation of bossing the roof j sheets. f,

rllhe invention is not restricted to the precise forms and arrangements shown and described. i

wiiiaieiaimis: y Ar` flexible'vv carv roei vcomprising roof sheets spaced apart along their adjacent l margins which are :termed withraised hollow lribs that extend lengthwise thereof, `and vers 18, -whose adjacent ends are covered by anchor memberisecuredto the 4'car"be" tween the spaced margins ot adjacent sheets,

said anchor ineiii'ber Yhaving raised ribs eX# tending lengthwise thereoiithat are adapted to iit within the raised marginal ribs or adjacent sheets, the sides ot the anchor memmargins which are formed with downwardlyy opening grooves y that i extend lengthwise thereof, a seam cover straddling the spaced" margins ot' adjacent sheets, and ananchor member located within vsaid seam cover and v secured to the car betweeii'the .spaced'mar- (fins oit adjacent sheets, said anchor member aving ribs extending lengthwise thereofv l tiet Aare adapted .to :tit within-the mar`- giiial grooves oi adjacent sheets, said ribs `having reverse convex surfaces" extending lengthwise thereof, the convexity oiE each rib being a maximum midway of thev length of the root sheet grooves, thereby permitting a limited angular adjustment ot, said sheets with respect to the said ribs.

A@ i'iexible car rooj comprising roof sheets spacedy apart along their adjacent margins which are formed with grooves that extend lengthwise thereoiwa, lseam cover.

sti'addling l'the spaced margins oi adjacent sheets, and an anchor member secured to the 'car between the spaced margins'oit adjacent root sheets, said anchor member having ribs,

extending lengthwise thereoithat' are adapt,- ed to lit within the marginal grooves ,of adjacent'sheets, they sides of said ribshaving ytangential contact with the sides ofsaid grooves, thereby preventing bodily move-wf` ment of said sheets towards and away `:trorrnv4 each othernnd permitting sluing Aof the ribs. i

sheets about the contacting portions yof said` Li. ii fiexibie' aa- .roof Comprising roofsheets spaced 4apart on opposite sides ofthe;y

ridge and having raised rebent flanges at` their ridge ends, a seam cover str addling the i ridge flanges et' oppositely arranged sheets, and an. anchor membersecured to the car between the ridge margins ofoppositelyarf. ranged sheets, Vsaid l anchor member having.

raised rebent iianges.adaptedv to iit within vthe ridge flanges of oppositely arranged roo sheets, the side wallsgo ythe anc-hor member flanges being reversely curved Jfrom end to end thereof, thereby `iiorir riii i g convex sur.-

faces that engage Athe sidewallsof the roof? sheet flanges andpermitslninggo the sheets,

lll

Ll (l about the contacting portions of said convex surfaces.

5. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets oppositely arranged on each side of the ridge and having raised hollow ribs extending lengthwise of their ridge ends, and an anchor member secured to the car between the ridge ends of oppositely arranged sheets, said anchor member having raised ribs extending lengthwise thereofA that vare adapted to fit within the hollow ribs of oppositely arranged sheets, the sides of said anchor member ribs having tangential contact with the sides of said roof sheet ribs midway of their length. I

6. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets oppositely arranged on each side of the ridge and having downwardly opening grooves extending lengthwise of their ridge ends, a seam cover straddling the spaced ridge ends of oppositely arranged sheets, and an anchor member located within said seam cover and secured to the car between the spaced ridge ends of oppositely arranged sheets, said anchor member having ribs extending` lengthwise thereof that are adapted to fit within the roof sheet grooves, said ribs having convex surfaces extending lengthwise thereof whose convexities are a maximum opposite themiddle of the ridge end of thesheets.

7. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets oppositely arranged on each side of the ridge and' having grooves extending lengthwise of their ridge margins, a seam cover straddling the spaced ridge ends of oppositely arranged sheets, and an anchor member located beneath said seam cover and secured to the car between the spaced ridge ends of oppositely arranged sheets, said anchor member having ribs extending lengthwise thereof that are adapted to fit within the grooves of oppositely arranged sheets,

between the spaced ridge ends of oppositely arranged sheets, saidanchor member having raised rebent flanges at its side mar ins adapted to fit within the raised rebent ridge flanges of oppositely arranged roof-sheets, the side walls of the anchor member flanges being reversely curved from end to end thereof to form convex surfaces that have tangential contact with the side walls of the roof sheet flanges.

9. As an article of manufacture, an anchor member for car roof sheets, said member having ribs extending lengthwise of its opposite margins, a rib being of greater width at its middle than at its end.

l0. As an article of manufacture, an anchor member for car roof sheets, said member having ribs extending lengthwise of each of its side margins whose sides are reversely curved from end to end thereof to `form convex'surfaces, the convexities being a maximum midway of the length of said ribs.

11. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal anchor member for car roof sheets, said anchor member having raised rebent flanges extending lengthwise of its Side margins, the side walls of said flanges being reversely curved from end to end forming convex surfaces, the convexities being a maximum midway of the length of said flanges.

Signed at Parnassus, Pa., this 28th day of November, 1921.

CHARLES DAVID BoNsALL, 

